Kenichiro Takai
Kenichiro Takai '''(高井研一郎, July 18, 1937-November 14, 2016) was a Japanese manga-ka, who was affiliated with Fujio Akatsuka and Fujio Pro through the 1960s and on occasion afterward. Life and Career Takai was born in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, but grew up in Shanghai in his youth due to his father opening a bookstore as part of the Shanghai Concession. During high school, he posted works to the Manga Shonen magazine and became acquainted with Shotaro Ishinomori and Fujio Akatsuka. Though he formed the Kyushu branch of the East Japan Manga Study Group, he found that he was unable to go to Tokiwa-so after his graduation from high school due to the fact that all the rooms had been filled (with Hideko Mizuno having recently taken the last space). In 1956, he made his professional manga debut in ''Shojo ''magazine with the work ''Riko-chan'', and would assist Osamu Tezuka for a time. However, in mid-1962, when Akatsuka began to have trouble with weekly deadlines for his Osomatsu-kun series, Takai requested to help out with the stories and characters and would wind up being instrumental in developing other amusing designs to add to the series. He would become known as the chief drawing assistant of Fujio Pro, being the usual artist to ink and complete Akatsuka's illustrations after the draft stage, though Takai would also draw art all on his own for some features. Takai would depart Fujio Pro in 1968, having already been collaborating with Joji Yamauchi under the penname of Tsutomu Dazai for shonen manga until he left to pursue a fully-independent manga career once again in 1970. Starting in 1986 and up to his death, he would illustrate Norio Hayashi's Big Comic-serialized manga of '' Roppeita Yamaguchi of the General Affairs Division, General Affairs Section''. He would also be responsible for the artwork in Tetsuya Takeda's'' Pro Golfer Oribe Kinjirō''. Takai would occasionally reunite for Fujio Pro works through the 1990s, assisting on The Collapse of the Sheeh! Religion as well as what would be Akatsuka's final serialized work of Liquor Hermit Dayoon. It is said up until his death from pneumonia on November 14, 2016, Takai was still drawing out drafts for'' Roppeita Yamaguchi'' while hospitalized, haver never truly wanted to stop working. The series was soon announced to be ended after his death announcement, out of respect for Takai. List of Works Collaborations with Fujio Akatsuka/Fujio Pro * '''Advance! Kentaro (すすめ!ケン太郎, June to December 1962 issues of Manga King)- Credited as co-writer for scripting * (㊙〇ナ氏, January 12, 1968, Manga Sunday) * Jamako (ジャマ子, May 1968, Ribon Comic) * I'll Do Anything! (なんでもヤリます!, May 8th-December 25th, 1968, Weekly Manga Sunday) - Art * Shinsengumi Osomatsu-ki (新撰組おそまつ記, November 15, 1968, Extra Edition Manga Sunday)- Art * The Collapse of the Sheeh! Religion (シェー教の崩壊, January 1996, Big Gold)- Partial credit for art, being one of 30 artists on the feature * Liquor Hermit Dayoon (酒仙人ダヨーン, January to February 1999, Big Comic)- Art credits for chapter 2 As Tsutomu Dazai for Fujio Pro Full lengths for some serial works unknown and must be determined. * Deresuke (デレ助, 1965, Manga King)- reprinted by Akebono in 1969 as "The Wandering Deresuke" (さすらいのデレ助), but also previously reprinted in a 2-volume kashihon from Bunka. * Minus Boy (マイナス小僧, exact date and magazine unknown) * Three Chamurai (三匹のチャムライ, exact date and magazine unknown) * Tachichiri Taiko-chan (トチチリたい子さん, 1965, Separate Edition Margaret) * Getemono-kun (ゲテモノくん, 1965, Adventure King) * Summer Vacation Variety Show (夏休みバラエティーショー,1965, Nakayoshi Summer Vacation extra number issue)- Collaboration with Kazuo Maekawa and Akaoni Yamane. * Tonchin Kantaro (トンチンカン太郎, 1965, Shonen separate volume "Manga Book") * 1+1 Equals Santaro (1+1は3たろう, 1965, Bokura) * The Amazing Atomic Bomb (おわらい原子爆弾ついにばくはつ, April 1965, Bokura)- Collaboration with Fujio Akatsuka, Tokuo Yokota, and Kenichi Kitami. Some characters from Osomatsu-kun appear. * The Mad Four (マッド4, 1965, Adventure King) * Jinx-1-chan (ジンクス1ちゃん, 1966, Shonen)- reprinted by Akebono in 1969 as "Jinx-chan" (ジンクスちゃん), but also under its original title as a kashihon. * Nerd-kun (ガリ勉くん, 1967, Junior High School 2nd Year Course) * Let's Go! Kansuke (それいけ！カンスケ, 1967, Shonen)- reprinted by Akebono in 1969 as "Hustle Boy Kansuke" (ハッスルBoyカンスケ), but also in earlier kashihon form by Bunka. * Humanity Sample Book (人間見本帳, March 24, 1968, Weekly Shonen Sunday #13) * Is This Okay! The Future of Manga Hellhole University (これでいいのか!!未来まんがハレホレ大学, February 1969, COM)- Writer: Kunio Nagatani * Bokepin 3 (ボケピン3, 1969, Shonen Picture Report) The character best known as appearing in "Let's Go! Kansuke" is a common star of the Dazai works, also appearing in "Minus Boy", "The Mad Four", and "Jinx-1-chan". Characters designed by Takai for Akatsuka works In some cases, Akatsuka was responsible for the rough draft or in correcting the sketches that Takai and other assistants would come up with for the characters, but these are the designs that can be attributed to Takai. * Iyami * Hatabo * Dekapan * Dayon * Moguramaru (as the character can be seen to carry over to "Deresuke") * Dekoppachi * Boss Kokoro * The Police Officer with the Connected Eyes (in this character's case, Akatsuka had drawn the eyes as an infinity symbol shape in the drafts, but enjoyed Takai's interpretation of one large connected eyeball and decided it'd stick) * Rerere (finalized design) References Category:People, Pets and Places Category:Fujio Pro